Letters: Bosak wins support of Smith House

Published 6:21 pm, Thursday, October 17, 2013

I'm writing in support of Jerry Bosak in his run for re-election to Stamford's Board of Finance. I have had the opportunity and pleasure to get to know Jerry on a professional level while serving under his leadership on the board of The Smith House. I also had the honor of being elected to serve as the current chairman at the end of his term earlier this year.

Jerry is a go-to board member who through his leadership skills and management style has the well-deserved respect of his colleagues and peers. He is a man of integrity who always approaches the task at hand with energy and enthusiasm. I know that I can always count on Jerry to go the extra mile and give his best to any project he undertakes. For example, Jerry was instrumental in the completion of the short-term rehabilitation unit at The Smith House which has both generated additional revenues and, perhaps more important, been a wonderful resource to families in our community since it opened this past year. This unit is one of the reasons that the Smith House is a Five Stare Medicare Rated facility and a US News and World Report Top Nursing Home, as well as a leading senior care facility in Fairfield County.

During his tenure as board chairman of The Smith House, Jerry's leadership skills and business acumen guided the board through many complex decisions including the restructuring of the management of The Smith House, a tough choice that has clearly proven to have been the right choice.

Jerry is a person of principle, somebody that I know cares about people, not politics, and somebody we can count on to make the right choices for Stamford even when they are not the easy ones. Please help me to re-elect Jerry Bosak for the Board of Finance on Nov. 5.

Chris Tasik

Chairman, The Smith House

Martin `most qualified'

To the editor,

On Nov. 5, Stamford voters will cast their ballots for the mayoral candidate that they believe is most capable of leading our city -- Connecticut's third largest -- for the next four years. Like many Stamford residents, I enjoy living here because of the diversity of neighborhoods, cultures, and ideas. Stamford needs a mayor who knows how to lead by consensus and who can bring people together to do what's best for our city. I believe that David Martin is the most qualified candidate to lead a city government that works for all of us.

Mr. Martin has a track record of getting things done in Stamford that stretches back 30 years. He was on the Board of Representatives for 26 years, serving as that body's president for eight, and currently sits on the Board of Finance. Throughout his decades of public service, Mr. Martin's reputation has been that of a person who combines his profound knowledge of local issues with his ability to find a middle ground among competing stakeholders so as to find the best path forward for our city. As Stamford continues to grapple with complex and interconnected issues such as affordability, development, and job growth, I feel that Mr. Martin's vast experience with bringing people together to forge viable solutions to real problems is an absolute necessity for the next mayor of Stamford.

It is rare to find a public servant whose commitment to bettering the lives of those around him or her transcends party, socioeconomic status, and background. In David Martin, I believe that we have an opportunity to elect to the mayor's office a man whose commitment to fighting for the people of Stamford is a matter of public record.

Alice Liebson

Stamford

Fedele's `bad decision'

To the editor,

It is revealing that mayoral candidate Michael Fedele signed the Grover Norquist no tax pledge. There cannot be a valid reason. There are potential future situations possibly requiring taxation: new products, new services, new government-supported private enterprise. If, however, he signed it because "all his colleagues were signing it," that demonstrates a level of unthinking conformity. Bad decision either way.